1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is classified as an Air Conditioning System. This is an accurate description of the Advanced Zone Damper System but just as every patentable invention is unique, it is difficult to catagorize the present invention into one and only one classification.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention; Advanced Zone Damper System is a modification or advanced design of the air conditioning control system in the Patent entitled Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System, U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,029 incorporated by reference for the sake of disclosure. The Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System allows a damper to be opened or closed as illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of that Patent. FIG. 8 of that Patent allows air to be evenly divided between two zones. When Zones are equal in size or air flow requirements are equal, the Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System works well, but when zones are of unequal sizes or require unequal amounts of heating or cooling, the Advanced Zone Damper System adapts to any circumstances that may be encountered. When the Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System damper is locked, then the damper may not be opened by air flow, but when the Advanced Zone Damper System is locked, an adjustable amount of air may flow through the damper. This modification of the locking damper allows unequal zones to be conditioned dumping or diverting excessive air flow from smaller zones to areas where the air can be more effectively used or returned to the heater or air conditioner's return air. The present invention utilizes a damper of superior design with far greater versatility. The control circuitry of the present invention is much more complex than the circuitry of the Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System's control system. The present invention incorporates a control switch which allows either thermostat to also control both dampers with both dampers unlocked just as a normal air conditioning system. There can be humidity control problems in the Zoned Heat and Air Conditioning System when the air conditioner is sized for control of all zones. When a humidistat and a manual control switch are incorporated in the control circuitry, all zone dampers can be opened and the air conditioner can be energized to reduce humidity. A plurality of humidistats can be installed in a parallel circuit for accurately monitoring humidity in all zones. In situations where the zone temperature is too cold, either thermostat's heat control can be turned on so both heat and air conditioning are operating simultaneously. The heater will only operate to bring the room temperature up to the temperature desired according to the setting of the thermostat.
There is presently available on the market today a device called a Dumper Damper. This device is similar to the damper in the Advanced Zone Damper System but there are great improvements in the present invention. The Dumper Damper has an adjustable counter weight which controls the amount of air which may pass where the Advanced Zone Damper System has an adjustable spring which performs this function and there is a door lock which separates this spring tension door control from a virtual free opening door when the door is unlocked. The Dumper Damper is slightly similar but by no means represents the Advanced Zone Damper System's damper.